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Corujo-Simon E, Bates LE, Yanagida A, Jones K, Clark S, von Meyenn F, Reik W, Nichols J. Human trophectoderm becomes multi-layered by internalization at the polar region. Dev Cell 2024:S1534-5807(24)00362-9. [PMID: 38889726 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
To implant in the uterus, mammalian embryos form blastocysts comprising trophectoderm (TE) surrounding an inner cell mass (ICM), confined to the polar region by the expanding blastocoel. The mode of implantation varies between species. Murine embryos maintain a single layered TE until they implant in the characteristic thick deciduum, whereas human blastocysts attach via polar TE directly to the uterine wall. Using immunofluorescence (IF) of rapidly isolated ICMs, blockade of RNA and protein synthesis in whole embryos, or 3D visualization of immunostained embryos, we provide evidence of multi-layering in human polar TE before implantation. This may be required for rapid uterine invasion to secure the developing human embryo and initiate formation of the placenta. Using sequential fluorescent labeling, we demonstrate that the majority of inner TE in human blastocysts arises from existing outer cells, with no evidence of conversion from the ICM in the context of the intact embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Corujo-Simon
- Wellcome - MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK.
| | - Lawrence Edward Bates
- Wellcome - MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Ayaka Yanagida
- Wellcome - MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Kenneth Jones
- Wellcome - MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK
| | - Stephen Clark
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | | | - Wolf Reik
- Epigenetics Programme, Babraham Institute, Cambridge CB22 3AT, UK
| | - Jennifer Nichols
- Wellcome - MRC Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Puddicombe Way, Cambridge CB2 0AW, UK; Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Centre for Trophoblast Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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2
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Zhao Y, Zhang M, Liu J, Hu X, Sun Y, Huang X, Li J, Lei L. Nr5a2 ensures inner cell mass formation in mouse blastocyst. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113840. [PMID: 38386558 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have elucidated Nr5a2's role in activating zygotic genes during early mouse embryonic development. Subsequent research, however, reveals that Nr5a2 is not critical for zygotic genome activation but is vital for the gene program between the 4- and 8-cell stages. A significant gap exists in experimental evidence regarding its function during the first lineage differentiation's pivotal period. In this study, we observed that approximately 20% of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage following Nr5a2 ablation. However, these blastocysts lacked inner cell mass (ICM), highlighting Nr5a2's importance in first lineage differentiation. Mechanistically, using RNA sequencing and CUT&Tag, we found that Nr5a2 transcriptionally regulates ICM-specific genes, such as Oct4, to establish the pluripotent network. Interference with or overexpression of Nr5a2 in single blastomeres of 2-cell embryos can alter the fate of daughter cells. Our results indicate that Nr5a2 works as a doorkeeper to ensure ICM formation in mouse blastocyst.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhua Zhao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Meiting Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Jiqiang Liu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Xinglin Hu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Yuchen Sun
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Xingwei Huang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Jingyu Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Human Embryo Engineering, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400010, China.
| | - Lei Lei
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China.
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3
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Sakurada K, Ishikawa T. Synthesis of causal and surrogate models by non-equilibrium thermodynamics in biological systems. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1001. [PMID: 38200211 PMCID: PMC10781949 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51426-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
We developed a model to represent the time evolution phenomena of life through physics constraints. To do this, we took into account that living organisms are open systems that exchange messages through intracellular communication, intercellular communication and sensory systems, and introduced the concept of a message force field. As a result, we showed that the maximum entropy generation principle is valid in time evolution. Then, in order to explain life phenomena based on this principle, we modelled the living system as a nonlinear oscillator coupled by a message and derived the governing equations. The governing equations consist of two laws: one states that the systems are synchronized when the variation of the natural frequencies between them is small or the coupling strength through the message is sufficiently large, and the other states that the synchronization is broken by the proliferation of biological systems. Next, to simulate the phenomena using data obtained from observations of the temporal evolution of life, we developed an inference model that combines physics constraints and a discrete surrogate model using category theory, and simulated the phenomenon of early embryogenesis using this inference model. The results show that symmetry creation and breaking based on message force fields can be widely used to model life phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Sakurada
- Department of Extended Intelligence for Medicine, The Ishii-Ishibashi Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
- Open Systems Information Science Team, Advanced Data Science Project, RIKEN Information R&D and Strategy Headquarters, RIKEN, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Tetsuo Ishikawa
- Department of Extended Intelligence for Medicine, The Ishii-Ishibashi Laboratory, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Medical Data Mathematical Reasoning Team, Advanced Data Science Project, RIKEN Information R&D and Strategy Headquarters, RIKEN, Yokohama, Japan
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4
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Lau KYC, Amadei G, Zernicka-Goetz M. Assembly of complete mouse embryo models from embryonic and induced stem cell types in vitro. Nat Protoc 2023; 18:3662-3689. [PMID: 37821625 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00891-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The interaction between embryonic and extraembryonic tissues is critical in natural mouse embryogenesis. Here, to enable such interaction in vitro, we describe a protocol to assemble a complete mouse embryo model using mouse embryonic stem cells and induced embryonic stem cells to express Cdx2 (or trophoblast stem cells) and Gata4 to reconstitute the epiblast, extraembryonic ectoderm and visceral endoderm lineages, respectively. The resulting complete embryo models recapitulate development from embryonic day 5.0 to 8.5, generating advanced embryonic and extraembryonic tissues that develop through gastrulation to initiate organogenesis to form a head and a beating heart structure as well as a yolk sac and chorion. Once the required stem cell lines are stably maintained in culture, the protocol requires 1 day to assemble complete embryo models and a further 8 days to culture them until headfold stages, although structures can be collected at earlier developmental stages as required. This protocol can be easily performed by researchers with experience in mouse stem cell culture, although they will benefit from knowledge of natural mouse embryos at early postimplantation stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasey Y C Lau
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gianluca Amadei
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Biology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA.
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5
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Alonso-Alonso S, Esteve-Codina A, Martin-Mur B, Álvarez-González L, Ruiz-Herrera A, Santaló J, Ibáñez E. Blastomeres of 8-cell mouse embryos differ in their ability to generate embryonic stem cells and produce lines with different transcriptional signatures. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1274660. [PMID: 37876553 PMCID: PMC10591181 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1274660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryonic stem cell (ESC) derivation from single blastomeres of 8-cell mouse embryos results in lower derivation rates than that from whole blastocysts, raising a biological question about the developmental potential of sister blastomeres. We aimed to assess the ability of 8-cell blastomeres to produce epiblast cells and ESC lines after isolation, and the properties of the resulting lines. Our results revealed unequal competence among sister blastomeres to produce ESC lines. At least half of the blastomeres possess a lower potential to generate ESCs, although culture conditions and blastomeres plasticity can redirect their non-pluripotent fate towards the epiblast lineage, allowing us to generate up to seven lines from the same embryo. Lines originated from the same embryo segregated into two groups according to their transcriptional signatures. While the expression of genes related to pluripotency and development was higher in one group, no differences were found in their trilineage differentiation ability. These results may help to improve our understanding of the ESC derivation process from single blastomeres and cell fate determination in the preimplantation mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Alonso-Alonso
- Genome Integrity and Reproductive Biology Group, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Martin-Mur
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucia Álvarez-González
- Genome Integrity and Reproductive Biology Group, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aurora Ruiz-Herrera
- Genome Integrity and Reproductive Biology Group, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Genome Integrity and Instability Group, Institut de Biotecnologia i Biomedicina, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep Santaló
- Genome Integrity and Reproductive Biology Group, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elena Ibáñez
- Genome Integrity and Reproductive Biology Group, Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Facultat de Biociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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6
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Wang M, Cheng R, He H, Han Z, Zhang Y, Wu Q. N 4-acetylcytidine of Nop2 mRNA is required for the transition of morula-to-blastocyst. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:307. [PMID: 37768430 PMCID: PMC11071819 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10)-mediated N4-acetylcytidine (ac4C) modification is crucial for mRNA stability and translation efficiency, yet the underlying function in mammalian preimplantation embryos remains unclear. Here, we characterized the ac4C modification landscape in mouse early embryos and found that the majority of embryos deficient in ac4C writer-NAT10 failed to develop into normal blastocysts. Through single-cell sequencing, RNA-seq, acetylated RNA immunoprecipitation combined with PCR (acRIP-PCR), and embryonic phenotype monitoring, Nop2 was screened as a target gene of Nat10. Mechanistically, Nat10 knockdown decreases the ac4C modification on Nop2 mRNA and reduces RNA and protein abundance by affecting the mRNA stability of Nop2. Then, depletion of NOP2 may inhibit the translation of transcription factor TEAD4, resulting in defective expression of the downstream lineage-specific gene Cdx2, and ultimately preventing blastomeres from undergoing the trophectoderm (TE) fate. However, exogenous Nop2 mRNA partially reverses this abnormal development. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that defective ac4C modification of Nop2 mRNA hinders the morula-to-blastocyst transition by influencing the first cell fate decision in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengyun Wang
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Rui Cheng
- Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Hongjuan He
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Zhengbin Han
- HIT Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Computational Biology Research Center, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
| | - Qiong Wu
- Developmental Biology Laboratory, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
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7
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Kostyuchenko RP, Amosov AV. Spatial Colinear but Broken Temporal Expression of Duplicated ParaHox Genes in Asexually Reproducing Annelids, Nais communis and Pristina longiseta. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1501. [PMID: 37510405 PMCID: PMC10379933 DOI: 10.3390/genes14071501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
ParaHox genes are key developmental regulators involved in the patterning of the digestive tract along the anteroposterior axis and the development of the nervous system. Most studies have focused on the function of these genes in embryogenesis, while their expression patterns in postembryonic development often remain unknown. In this study, we identified for the first time all ParaHox orthologs in two naidid oligochaetes, N. communis and P. longiseta, and described their expression patterns during normal growth and fission in these animals. We showed that Gsx and Cdx are presented by two paralogs, while Xlox is a single copy gene in both species. Using whole-mount in situ hybridization, we also found that orthologs, except for the Xlox gene, have similar activity patterns with minor differences in details, while the expression patterns of paralogs can differ significantly. However, all these genes are involved in axial patterning and/or in tissue remodeling during growth and asexual reproduction in naidids. Moreover, during paratomic fission, these genes are expressed with spatial colinearity but temporal colinearity is broken. The results of this study may be evidence of the functional diversification of duplicated genes and suggest involvement of the ParaHox genes in whole-body patterning during growth and asexual reproduction in annelids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman P Kostyuchenko
- Department of Embryology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7-9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Artem V Amosov
- Department of Embryology, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7-9, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
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8
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Kim M, Lee J, Cai L, Choi H, Oh D, Jawad A, Hyun SH. Neurotrophin-4 promotes the specification of trophectoderm lineage after parthenogenetic activation and enhances porcine early embryonic development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1194596. [PMID: 37519302 PMCID: PMC10373506 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1194596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), a neurotrophic factor, appears to affect early embryonic development because it is secreted not only by neurons but also by oviductal and uterine epithelial cells. However, no studies have characterized the effects of NT-4 on early embryonic development in pigs. In this study, we applied the experimental model of parthenogenetic-activation (PA)-derived embryos. Herein, we investigated the effect of NT-4 supplementation during the in vitro culture (IVC) of embryos, analyzed the transcription levels of specific genes, and outlined the first cell lineage specification for porcine PA-derived blastocysts. We confirmed that NT-4 and its receptor proteins were localized in both the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) in porcine blastocysts. Across different concentrations (0, 1, 10, and 100 ng/mL) of NT-4 supplementation, the optimal concentration of NT-4 to improve the developmental competence of porcine parthenotes was 10 ng/mL. NT-4 supplementation during porcine IVC significantly (p < 0.05) increased the proportion of TE cells by inducing the transcription of TE lineage markers (CDX2, PPAG3, and GATA3 transcripts). NT-4 also reduced blastocyst apoptosis by regulating the transcription of apoptosis-related genes (BAX and BCL2L1 transcripts) and improved blastocyst quality via the interaction of neurotrophin-, Hippo-yes-associated protein (Hippo-YAP) and mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK) pathway. Additionally, NT-4 supplementation during IVC significantly (p < 0.05) increased YAP1 transcript levels and significantly (p < 0.01) decreased LATS2 transcript levels, respectively, in the porcine PA-derived blastocysts. We also confirmed through fluorescence intensity that the YAP1 protein was significantly (p < 0.001) increased in the NT-4-treated blastocysts compared with that in the control. NT-4 also promoted differentiation into the TE lineage rather than into the ICM lineage during porcine early embryonic development. In conclusion, 10 ng/mL NT-4 supplementation enhanced blastocyst quality by regulating the apoptosis- and TE lineage specification-related genes and interacting with neurotrophin-, Hippo-YAP-, and MAPK/ERK signaling pathway during porcine in vitro embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirae Kim
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Joohyeong Lee
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Lian Cai
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Veterinary Biosecurity and Protection, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyerin Choi
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongjin Oh
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ali Jawad
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Hwan Hyun
- Veterinary Medical Center and College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory of Veterinary Embryology and Biotechnology (VETEMBIO), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine (ISCRM), Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
- Graduate School of Veterinary Biosecurity and Protection, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
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9
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Hawdon A, Geoghegan ND, Mohenska M, Elsenhans A, Ferguson C, Polo JM, Parton RG, Zenker J. Apicobasal RNA asymmetries regulate cell fate in the early mouse embryo. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2909. [PMID: 37253716 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The spatial sorting of RNA transcripts is fundamental for the refinement of gene expression to distinct subcellular regions. Although, in non-mammalian early embryogenesis, differential RNA localisation presages cell fate determination, in mammals it remains unclear. Here, we uncover apical-to-basal RNA asymmetries in outer blastomeres of 16-cell stage mouse preimplantation embryos. Basally directed RNA transport is facilitated in a microtubule- and lysosome-mediated manner. Yet, despite an increased accumulation of RNA transcripts in basal regions, higher translation activity occurs at the more dispersed apical RNA foci, demonstrated by spatial heterogeneities in RNA subtypes, RNA-organelle interactions and translation events. During the transition to the 32-cell stage, the biased inheritance of RNA transcripts, coupled with differential translation capacity, regulates cell fate allocation of trophectoderm and cells destined to form the pluripotent inner cell mass. Our study identifies a paradigm for the spatiotemporal regulation of post-transcriptional gene expression governing mammalian preimplantation embryogenesis and cell fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Azelle Hawdon
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Niall D Geoghegan
- Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Monika Mohenska
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Anja Elsenhans
- Department of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Charles Ferguson
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jose M Polo
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
- Adelaide Centre for Epigenetics, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Robert G Parton
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Jennifer Zenker
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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10
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Spadafora C. The epigenetic basis of evolution. PROGRESS IN BIOPHYSICS AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2023; 178:57-69. [PMID: 36720315 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2023.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
An increasing body of data are revealing key roles of epigenetics in evolutionary processes. The scope of this manuscript is to assemble in a coherent frame experimental evidence supporting a role of epigenetic factors and networks, active during embryogenesis, in orchestrating variation-inducing phenomena underlying evolution, seen as a global process. This process unfolds over two crucial levels: i) a flow of RNA-based information - predominantly small regulatory RNAs released from somatic cells exposed to environmental stimuli - taken up by spermatozoa and delivered to oocytes at fertilization and ii) the highly permissive and variation-prone environments offered by zygotes and totipotent early embryos. Totipotent embryos provide a variety of biological tools favouring the emergence of evolutionarily significant phenotypic novelties driven by RNA information. Under this light, neither random genomic mutations, nor the sieving role of natural selection are required, as the sperm-delivered RNA cargo conveys specific information and acts as "phenotypic-inducer" of defined environmentally acquired traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corrado Spadafora
- Institute of Translational Pharmacology, National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy.
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11
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Liu W, Chen J, Yang C, Lee KF, Lee YL, Chiu PCN, Zhang Y, Duan YG, Liu K, Yeung WSB. Expression of microRNA let-7 in cleavage embryos modulates cell fate determination and formation of mouse blastocysts†. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:1452-1463. [PMID: 36136742 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
After fertilization, the zygote undergoes cell division. Up to the 8-cell stage, the blastomeres of mouse preimplantation embryos are morphologically identical. The first cell differentiation starts in the morula leading to the formation of trophectoderm cells and inner cell mass cells of the blastocyst. The regulation of the differentiation event and the formation of blastocysts are not fully known. Lethal-7 (let-7) is a family of evolutionarily conserved microRNAs. Here, we showed that the expression of let-7a and let-7g decreased drastically from the 1-cell stage to the 2-cell stage, remained low up to the 8-cell stage and slightly increased after the morula stage of mouse embryos. The expression of let-7 in the inner cell mass was higher than that in the trophectoderm. Forced expression of let-7a in embryos at the 1-cell and 4-cell stage inhibited blastocyst formation and downregulated the expression of CDX2 but maintained that of OCT4 in the trophectoderm. Forced expression of other let-7 isoforms exhibited similar inhibitory action on blastulation. On the other hand, inhibition of let-7a at the 4-cell stage and the 8-cell stage enhanced blastocyst formation. Co-injection of green fluorescent protein (GFP) mRNA (lineage tracer) with either precursor of let-7a (pre-let-7a) or scramble control into one blastomere of 2-cell embryos showed that ~75% of the resulting blastocysts possessed GFP+ cells in their inner cell mass only. The biased development towards the inner cell mass with forced expression of let-7 was reproduced in 2-cell chimeric embryos consisting of one wildtype blastomere and one GFP mRNA-injected blastomere from another 2-cell embryo carrying a doxycycline-inducible let-7g gene. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that Tead4 was a potential target of let-7. Let-7 bound to the 3'UTR of Tead4 and let-7 forced expression downregulated the expression of Tead4 in mouse blastocysts. Co-injection of Tead4 mRNA partially nullified the modulatory roles of let-7a in the inner cell mass cell fate. In conclusion, a high level of let-7 at the 2-cell stage favored the formation of the inner cell mass, whereas a low level of let-7 at the 4-cell to 8-cell stage enhanced blastocyst formation. Tead4 mediated the action of let-7 on the inner cell mass cell-fate determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weimin Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Reproductive Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Reproductive Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kai-Fai Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yin-Lau Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Philip Chi-Ngong Chiu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yihui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Reproductive Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong-Gong Duan
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Reproductive Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kui Liu
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Reproductive Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - William Shu-Biu Yeung
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Fertility Regulation, Center of Reproductive Medicine and Prenatal Diagnosis, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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12
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New insights into the epitranscriptomic control of pluripotent stem cell fate. Exp Mol Med 2022; 54:1643-1651. [PMID: 36266446 PMCID: PMC9636187 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-022-00824-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Each cell in the human body has a distinguishable fate. Pluripotent stem cells are challenged with a myriad of lineage differentiation options. Defects are more likely to be fatal to stem cells than to somatic cells due to the broad impact of the former on early development. Hence, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms that determine the fate of stem cells is needed. The mechanisms by which human pluripotent stem cells, although not fully equipped with complex chromatin structures or epigenetic regulatory mechanisms, accurately control gene expression and are important to the stem cell field. In this review, we examine the events driving pluripotent stem cell fate and the underlying changes in gene expression during early development. In addition, we highlight the role played by the epitranscriptome in the regulation of gene expression that is necessary for each fate-related event.
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13
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Puscheck EE, Ruden X, Singh A, Abdulhasan M, Ruden DM, Awonuga AO, Rappolee DA. Using high throughput screens to predict miscarriages with placental stem cells and long-term stress effects with embryonic stem cells. Birth Defects Res 2022; 114:1014-1036. [PMID: 35979652 PMCID: PMC10108263 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
A problem in developmental toxicology is the massive loss of life from fertilization through gastrulation, and the surprising lack of knowledge of causes of miscarriage. Half to two-thirds of embryos are lost, and environmental and genetic causes are nearly equal. Simply put, it can be inferred that this is a difficult period for normal embryos, but that environmental stresses may cause homeostatic responses that move from adaptive to maladaptive with increasing exposures. At the lower 50% estimate, miscarriage causes greater loss-of-life than all cancers combined or of all cardio- and cerebral-vascular accidents combined. Surprisingly, we do not know if miscarriage rates are increasing or decreasing. Overshadowed by the magnitude of miscarriages, are insufficient data on teratogenic or epigenetic imbalances in surviving embryos and their stem cells. Superimposed on the difficult normal trajectory for peri-gastrulation embryos are added malnutrition, hormonal, and environmental stresses. An overarching hypothesis is that high throughput screens (HTS) using cultured viable reporter embryonic and placental stem cells (e.g., embryonic stem cells [ESC] and trophoblast stem cells [TSC] that report status using fluorescent reporters in living cells) from the pre-gastrulation embryo will most rapidly test a range of hormonal, environmental, nutritional, drug, and diet supplement stresses that decrease stem cell proliferation and imbalance stemness/differentiation. A second hypothesis is that TSC respond with greater sensitivity in magnitude to stress that would cause miscarriage, but ESC are stress-resistant to irreversible stemness loss and are best used to predict long-term health defects. DevTox testing needs more ESC and TSC HTS to model environmental stresses leading to miscarriage or teratogenesis and more research on epidemiology of stress and miscarriage. This endeavor also requires a shift in emphasis on pre- and early gastrulation events during the difficult period of maximum loss by miscarriage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth E Puscheck
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Reproductive Stress 3M Inc, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, USA
- Invia Fertility Clinics, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
| | - Ximena Ruden
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Aditi Singh
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Mohammed Abdulhasan
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Reproductive Stress 3M Inc, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, USA
| | - Douglas M Ruden
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Invia Fertility Clinics, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Science, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Awoniyi O Awonuga
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Daniel A Rappolee
- CS Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Department of Ob/Gyn, Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Reproductive Stress 3M Inc, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, USA
- Invia Fertility Clinics, Hoffman Estates, Illinois, USA
- Institute for Environmental Health Science, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Program for Reproductive Sciences and Department of Physiology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Yilmaz F, Micili SC, Erbil G. The role of FGF-4 and FGFR-2 on preimplantation embryo development in experimental maternal diabetes. Gynecol Endocrinol 2022; 38:248-252. [PMID: 34904519 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2021.2005782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Diabetes mellitus can cause spontaneous abortion, neonatal diseases, congenital malformations, and death. There are many studies related to the damage of in vitro hyperglycemia on embryogenesis in literature, but not enough studies on in vivo hyperglycemia effects on embryogenesis. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) molecules play an essential role in pre-implantation embryo development and diabetes pathogenesis. In our study, we researched whether FGF-4 and FGFR-2 were playing a role in maternal diabetes' effects on embryo development. MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty adult virgin female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into two groups: control and diabetic. The experimental diabetes model was generated by streptozotocin (55 mg/kg, once, intraperitoneally). The control and the diabetic group were mated. Embryos were collected at the morula and blastocyte stages corresponding to the third and fourth days of pregnancy. Embryo's FGF-4 and FGFR-2 molecules were evaluated by their immunofluorescence staining and immunoreactivity score. RESULT The results clearly showed that the FGF-4 and FGFR-2 immunofluorescence reactivity was higher in the diabetes group. CONCLUSION We concluded that FGF-4 and FGFR-2 overexpression might impair mouse pre-implantation embryo development in maternal diabetes and suggest investigating whether they have crucial effects on human embryo development and infertility in maternal diabetes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filiz Yilmaz
- IVF Center, Hitit University Erol Olcok Research and Training Hospital, Corum, Turkey
| | - Serap Cilaker Micili
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Guven Erbil
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey
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15
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Salamon I, Rasin MR. Evolution of the Neocortex Through RNA-Binding Proteins and Post-transcriptional Regulation. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:803107. [PMID: 35082597 PMCID: PMC8784817 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.803107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The human neocortex is undoubtedly considered a supreme accomplishment in mammalian evolution. It features a prenatally established six-layered structure which remains plastic to the myriad of changes throughout an organism’s lifetime. A fundamental feature of neocortical evolution and development is the abundance and diversity of the progenitor cell population and their neuronal and glial progeny. These evolutionary upgrades are partially enabled due to the progenitors’ higher proliferative capacity, compartmentalization of proliferative regions, and specification of neuronal temporal identities. The driving force of these processes may be explained by temporal molecular patterning, by which progenitors have intrinsic capacity to change their competence as neocortical neurogenesis proceeds. Thus, neurogenesis can be conceptualized along two timescales of progenitors’ capacity to (1) self-renew or differentiate into basal progenitors (BPs) or neurons or (2) specify their fate into distinct neuronal and glial subtypes which participate in the formation of six-layers. Neocortical development then proceeds through sequential phases of proliferation, differentiation, neuronal migration, and maturation. Temporal molecular patterning, therefore, relies on the precise regulation of spatiotemporal gene expression. An extensive transcriptional regulatory network is accompanied by post-transcriptional regulation that is frequently mediated by the regulatory interplay between RNA-binding proteins (RBPs). RBPs exhibit important roles in every step of mRNA life cycle in any system, from splicing, polyadenylation, editing, transport, stability, localization, to translation (protein synthesis). Here, we underscore the importance of RBP functions at multiple time-restricted steps of early neurogenesis, starting from the cell fate transition of transcriptionally primed cortical progenitors. A particular emphasis will be placed on RBPs with mostly conserved but also divergent evolutionary functions in neural progenitors across different species. RBPs, when considered in the context of the fascinating process of neocortical development, deserve to be main protagonists in the story of the evolution and development of the neocortex.
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16
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Krawczyk K, Kosyl E, Częścik-Łysyszyn K, Wyszomirski T, Maleszewski M. Developmental capacity is unevenly distributed among single blastomeres of 2-cell and 4-cell stage mouse embryos. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21422. [PMID: 34728646 PMCID: PMC8563712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00834-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
During preimplantation development, mammalian embryo cells (blastomeres) cleave, gradually losing their potencies and differentiating into three primary cell lineages: epiblast (EPI), trophectoderm (TE), and primitive endoderm (PE). The exact moment at which cells begin to vary in their potency for multilineage differentiation still remains unknown. We sought to answer the question of whether single cells isolated from 2- and 4-cell embryos differ in their ability to generate the progenitors and cells of blastocyst lineages. We revealed that twins were often able to develop into blastocysts containing inner cell masses (ICMs) with PE and EPI cells. Despite their capacity to create a blastocyst, the twins differed in their ability to produce EPI, PE, and TE cell lineages. In contrast, quadruplets rarely formed normal blastocysts, but instead developed into blastocysts with ICMs composed of only one cell lineage or completely devoid of an ICM altogether. We also showed that quadruplets have unequal capacities to differentiate into TE, PE, and EPI lineages. These findings could explain the difficulty of creating monozygotic twins and quadruplets from 2- and 4-cell stage mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Krawczyk
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Ewa Kosyl
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Karolina Częścik-Łysyszyn
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tomasz Wyszomirski
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marek Maleszewski
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
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17
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Wang Y, Zheng X, Cheng R, Han J, Ma X, Xu W, Gao L, Lei A, Liu J, Quan F, Zhang Y, Liu X. Asymmetric expression of maternal mRNA governs first cell-fate decision. FASEB J 2021; 35:e22006. [PMID: 34694646 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202101196r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The goal of preimplantation development is to establish the fates of the embryonic and extra-embryonic cells. However, when and how cell fates are determined during early mammalian embryonic development remains unclear. We report that the high mobility group (HMG) protein family member HMGA1 was distributed differentially in mouse two-cell blastomeres. Knockdown of Hmga1 expression in one of the two cells reduced the number of cells contributing to the inner cell mass (ICM), suggesting that differential distribution of HMGA1 in the blastomeres in two-cell mouse embryos affected the selection of embryonic cell lineages. Mechanistically, HMGA1 promotes the expression of the ICM-specific gene Sox2. The results of this study show that mouse embryos demonstrate heterogeneity as early as the two-cell stage, and that these differences are related to cell-fate differentiation in early mouse embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Xiaoman Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Rui Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Jing Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Xing Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Wenjun Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Lu Gao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Anmin Lei
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shaanxi Stem Cell Engineering and Technology Center, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Jun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Fusheng Quan
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
| | - Xu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, PR China
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18
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Cell fate determination and Hippo signaling pathway in preimplantation mouse embryo. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 386:423-444. [PMID: 34586506 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03530-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
First cell fate determination plays crucial roles in cell specification during early phases of embryonic development. Three classical concepts have been proposed to explain the lineage specification mechanism of the preimplantation embryo: inside-outside, pre-patterning, and polarity models. Transcriptional effectors of the Hippo signal pathway are YAP and TAZ activators that can create a shuttle between the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Despite different localizations of YAP in the cell, it determines the fate of ICM and TE. How the decisive cue driving factors that determine YAP localization are coordinated remains a central unanswered question. How can an embryonic cell find its position? The objective of this review is to summarize the molecular and mechanical aspects in cell fate decision during mouse preimplantation embryonic development. The findings will reveal the relationship between cell-cell adhesion, cell polarity, and determination of cell fate during early embryonic development in mice and elucidate the inducing/inhibiting mechanisms that are involved in cell specification following zygotic genome activation and compaction processes. With future studies, new biophysical and chemical cues in the cell fate determination will impart significant spatiotemporal effects on early embryonic development. The achieved knowledge will provide important information to the development of new approaches to be used in infertility treatment and increase the success of pregnancy.
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19
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Zhu M, Shahbazi M, Martin A, Zhang C, Sozen B, Borsos M, Mandelbaum RS, Paulson RJ, Mole MA, Esbert M, Titus S, Scott RT, Campbell A, Fishel S, Gradinaru V, Zhao H, Wu K, Chen ZJ, Seli E, de Los Santos MJ, Zernicka Goetz M. Human embryo polarization requires PLC signaling to mediate trophectoderm specification. eLife 2021; 10:65068. [PMID: 34569938 PMCID: PMC8514238 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Apico-basal polarization of cells within the embryo is critical for the segregation of distinct lineages during mammalian development. Polarized cells become the trophectoderm (TE), which forms the placenta, and apolar cells become the inner cell mass (ICM), the founding population of the fetus. The cellular and molecular mechanisms leading to polarization of the human embryo and its timing during embryogenesis have remained unknown. Here, we show that human embryo polarization occurs in two steps: it begins with the apical enrichment of F-actin and is followed by the apical accumulation of the PAR complex. This two-step polarization process leads to the formation of an apical domain at the 8-16 cell stage. Using RNA interference, we show that apical domain formation requires Phospholipase C (PLC) signaling, specifically the enzymes PLCB1 and PLCE1, from the eight-cell stage onwards. Finally, we show that although expression of the critical TE differentiation marker GATA3 can be initiated independently of embryo polarization, downregulation of PLCB1 and PLCE1 decreases GATA3 expression through a reduction in the number of polarized cells. Therefore, apical domain formation reinforces a TE fate. The results we present here demonstrate how polarization is triggered to regulate the first lineage segregation in human embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhu
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics, Boston, United States
| | - Marta Shahbazi
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Francis Crick Avenue, Biomedical Campus., Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Angel Martin
- IVIRMA Valencia, IVI Foundation, Valencia, Spain
| | - Chuanxin Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Berna Sozen
- Developmental Plasticity and Self-Organization Group, California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Pasadena, United States.,Yale School of Medicine, Department of Genetics, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Mate Borsos
- California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering,, Pasadena, United States
| | - Rachel S Mandelbaum
- USC Fertility, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Paulson
- USC Fertility, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo A Mole
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marga Esbert
- IVIRMA New Jersey, Basking Ridge, NJ, United States
| | - Shiny Titus
- IVIRMA New Jersey, Basking Ridge, NJ, United States
| | | | - Alison Campbell
- CARE Fertility Group, John Webster House, 6 Lawrence Drive, Nottingham Business Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Fishel
- CARE Fertility Group, John Webster House, 6 Lawrence Drive, Nottingham Business Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Viviana Gradinaru
- MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Francis Crick Avenue, Biomedical Campus., Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Han Zhao
- Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Keliang Wu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Zi-Jiang Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Key laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology of Ministry of Education, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Emre Seli
- IVIRMA New Jersey, Basking Ridge, NJ, United States.,Yale School of Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Magdalena Zernicka Goetz
- Mammalian Embryo and Stem Cell Group, University of Cambridge, Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Developmental Plasticity and Self-Organization Group, California Institute of Technology, Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, Pasadena, United States
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20
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Liu Y, Sun J, Su Y, Lin J, Lv C, Mo K, Xu S, Wang S. Nuclear-localized eukaryotic translation initiation factor 1A is involved in mouse preimplantation embryo development. J Mol Histol 2021; 52:965-973. [PMID: 34405343 DOI: 10.1007/s10735-021-10014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Preimplantation embryo development is characterized by drastic nuclear reprogramming and dynamic stage-specific gene expression. Key regulators of this earliest developmental stage have not been revealed. In the present study, a "non-classical" nuclear-localization pattern of eIF1A was observed during early developmental stages of mouse preimplantation embryo before late-morula. In particular, eIF1A is most highly expressed in the nuclear of 2-cell embryo. Knockdown eIF1A by siRNA microinjection affected the development of mouse preimplantation embryo, resulted in decreased blastocyst formation rate. CDX2 protein expression level significantly down-regulated after eIF1A knockdown in morula stage. In addition, the mRNA expression level of Hsp70.1 was also decreased in 2-cell embryo. The results indicate an indispensable role of eIF1A in mouse preimplantation embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Liu
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China.,Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiandong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Su
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianmin Lin
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengyu Lv
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaien Mo
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Songhua Xu
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China.,Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China
| | - Shie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Engineering and Regenerative Medicine of Fujian Province University, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China. .,Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, 350122, People's Republic of China.
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21
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Zhu M, Zernicka-Goetz M. Principles of Self-Organization of the Mammalian Embryo. Cell 2021; 183:1467-1478. [PMID: 33306953 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Early embryogenesis is a conserved and self-organized process. In the mammalian embryo, the potential for self-organization is manifested in its extraordinary developmental plasticity, allowing a correctly patterned embryo to arise despite experimental perturbation. The underlying mechanisms enabling such regulative development have long been a topic of study. In this Review, we summarize our current understanding of the self-organizing principles behind the regulative nature of the early mammalian embryo. We argue that geometrical constraints, feedback between mechanical and biochemical factors, and cellular heterogeneity are all required to ensure the developmental plasticity of mammalian embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Zhu
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Present address: Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK; Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
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22
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Meistermann D, Bruneau A, Loubersac S, Reignier A, Firmin J, François-Campion V, Kilens S, Lelièvre Y, Lammers J, Feyeux M, Hulin P, Nedellec S, Bretin B, Castel G, Allègre N, Covin S, Bihouée A, Soumillon M, Mikkelsen T, Barrière P, Chazaud C, Chappell J, Pasque V, Bourdon J, Fréour T, David L. Integrated pseudotime analysis of human pre-implantation embryo single-cell transcriptomes reveals the dynamics of lineage specification. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1625-1640.e6. [PMID: 34004179 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Understanding lineage specification during human pre-implantation development is a gateway to improving assisted reproductive technologies and stem cell research. Here we employ pseudotime analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data to reconstruct early mouse and human embryo development. Using time-lapse imaging of annotated embryos, we provide an integrated, ordered, and continuous analysis of transcriptomics changes throughout human development. We reveal that human trophectoderm/inner cell mass transcriptomes diverge at the transition from the B2 to the B3 blastocyst stage, just before blastocyst expansion. We explore the dynamics of the fate markers IFI16 and GATA4 and show that they gradually become mutually exclusive upon establishment of epiblast and primitive endoderm fates, respectively. We also provide evidence that NR2F2 marks trophectoderm maturation, initiating from the polar side, and subsequently spreads to all cells after implantation. Our study pinpoints the precise timing of lineage specification events in the human embryo and identifies transcriptomics hallmarks and cell fate markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Meistermann
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; LS2N, UNIV Nantes, CNRS, Nantes, France
| | - Alexandre Bruneau
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Sophie Loubersac
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Arnaud Reignier
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Julie Firmin
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Valentin François-Campion
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Stéphanie Kilens
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France
| | | | - Jenna Lammers
- CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Magalie Feyeux
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, SFR Santé, FED 4203, INSERM UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France
| | - Phillipe Hulin
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, SFR Santé, FED 4203, INSERM UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France
| | - Steven Nedellec
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, SFR Santé, FED 4203, INSERM UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France
| | - Betty Bretin
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Gaël Castel
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Nicolas Allègre
- GReD Laboratory, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, Faculté de Médecine, CRBC, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Simon Covin
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Audrey Bihouée
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, SFR Santé, FED 4203, INSERM UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France; Institut du Thorax, UNIV Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, Nantes, France
| | - Magali Soumillon
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Tarjei Mikkelsen
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Paul Barrière
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, 44000 Nantes, France
| | - Claire Chazaud
- GReD Laboratory, Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, INSERM, Faculté de Médecine, CRBC, 63000 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Joel Chappell
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Institute for Single Cell Omics, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Vincent Pasque
- KU Leuven - University of Leuven, Department of Development and Regeneration, Institute for Single Cell Omics, Leuven Stem Cell Institute, Herestraat 49, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Thomas Fréour
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; CHU Nantes, Université de Nantes, Service de Biologie de la Reproduction, 44000 Nantes, France.
| | - Laurent David
- Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Transplantation et Immunologie, UMR 1064, ITUN, 44000 Nantes, France; Université de Nantes, CHU Nantes, INSERM, CNRS, SFR Santé, FED 4203, INSERM UMS 016, CNRS UMS 3556, Nantes, France.
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23
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Paonessa M, Borini A, Coticchio G. Genetic causes of preimplantation embryo developmental failure. Mol Reprod Dev 2021; 88:338-348. [PMID: 33843124 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 02/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Embryo development requires orchestrated events, finely regulated at the molecular and cellular level by mechanisms which are progressively emerging from animal studies. With progress in genetic technologies-such as genome editing and single-cell RNA analysis-we can now assess embryo gene expression with increased precision and gain new insights into complex processes until recently difficult to explore. Multiple genes and regulative pathways have been identified for each developmental stage. We have learned that embryos with undisturbed and timely gene expression have higher chances of successful development. For example, selected genes are highly expressed during the first stages, being involved in cell adhesion, cell cycle, and regulation of transcription; other genes are instead crucial for lineage specification and therefore expressed at later stages. Due to ethical constraints, studies on human embryos remain scarce, mainly descriptive, and unable to provide functional evidence. This highlights the importance of animal studies as basic knowledge to test and appraise in a clinical context. In this review, we report on preimplantation development with a focus on genes whose impairment leads to developmental arrest. Preconceptional genetic screening could identify loss-of-function mutations of these genes; thereby, novel biomarkers of embryo quality could be adopted to improve diagnosis and treatment of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariagrazia Paonessa
- 9.Baby, Family and Fertility Center, Bologna, Italy.,Casa di Cura Candela Spa, Palermo, Italy
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24
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Sharma J, Antenos M, Madan P. A Comparative Analysis of Hippo Signaling Pathway Components during Murine and Bovine Early Mammalian Embryogenesis. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:281. [PMID: 33669396 PMCID: PMC7920285 DOI: 10.3390/genes12020281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The time required for successful blastocyst formation varies among multiple species. The formation of a blastocyst is governed by numerous molecular cell signaling pathways, such as the Hippo signaling pathway. The Hippo signaling pathway is initiated by increased cell-cell contact and via apical polarity proteins (AMOT, PARD6, and NF2) during the period of preimplantation embryogenesis. Cell-cell contact and cell polarity activate (phosphorylates) the core cascade components of the pathway (mammalian sterile twenty like 1 and 2 (MST1/2) and large tumor suppressor 1 and 2 (LATS1/2)), which in turn phosphorylate the downstream effectors of the pathway (YAP1/TAZ). The Hippo pathway remains inactive with YAP1 (Yes Associated protein 1) present inside the nucleus in the trophectoderm (TE) cells (polar blastomeres) of the mouse blastocyst. In the inner cell mass (ICM) cells (apolar blastomeres), the pathway is activated with p-YAP1 present in the cytoplasm. On the contrary, during bovine embryogenesis, p-YAP1 is exclusively present in the nucleus in both TE and ICM cells. Contrary to mouse embryos, transcription co activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) (also known as WWTR1) is also predominantly present in the cytoplasm in all the blastomeres during bovine embryogenesis. This review outlines the major differences in the localization and function of Hippo signaling pathway components of murine and bovine preimplantation embryos, suggesting significant differences in the regulation of this pathway in between the two species. The variance observed in the Hippo signaling pathway between murine and bovine embryos confirms that both of these early embryonic models are quite distinct. Moreover, based on the similarity of the Hippo signaling pathway between bovine and human early embryo development, bovine embryos could be an alternate model for understanding the regulation of the Hippo signaling pathway in human embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Pavneesh Madan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada; (J.S.); (M.A.)
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25
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Chromatin Regulation in Development: Current Understanding and Approaches. Stem Cells Int 2021; 2021:8817581. [PMID: 33603792 PMCID: PMC7872760 DOI: 10.1155/2021/8817581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The regulation of mammalian stem cell fate during differentiation is complex and can be delineated across many levels. At the chromatin level, the replacement of histone variants by chromatin-modifying proteins, enrichment of specific active and repressive histone modifications, long-range gene interactions, and topological changes all play crucial roles in the determination of cell fate. These processes control regulatory elements of critical transcriptional factors, thereby establishing the networks unique to different cell fates and initiate waves of distinctive transcription events. Due to the technical challenges posed by previous methods, it was difficult to decipher the mechanism of cell fate determination at early embryogenesis through chromatin regulation. Recently, single-cell approaches have revolutionised the field of developmental biology, allowing unprecedented insights into chromatin structure and interactions in early lineage segregation events during differentiation. Here, we review the recent technological advancements and how they have furthered our understanding of chromatin regulation during early differentiation events.
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26
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Engel KL, Arora A, Goering R, Lo HYG, Taliaferro JM. Mechanisms and consequences of subcellular RNA localization across diverse cell types. Traffic 2020; 21:404-418. [PMID: 32291836 PMCID: PMC7304542 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Essentially all cells contain a variety of spatially restricted regions that are important for carrying out specialized functions. Often, these regions contain specialized transcriptomes that facilitate these functions by providing transcripts for localized translation. These transcripts play a functional role in maintaining cell physiology by enabling a quick response to changes in the cellular environment. Here, we review how RNA molecules are trafficked within cells, with a focus on the subcellular locations to which they are trafficked, mechanisms that regulate their transport and clinical disorders associated with misregulation of the process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krysta L Engel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Ankita Arora
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Raeann Goering
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Hei-Yong G Lo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - J Matthew Taliaferro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
- RNA Bioscience Initiative, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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27
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Coticchio G, Lagalla C, Sturmey R, Pennetta F, Borini A. The enigmatic morula: mechanisms of development, cell fate determination, self-correction and implications for ART. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 25:422-438. [PMID: 30855681 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmz008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2018] [Revised: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Assisted reproduction technology offers the opportunity to observe the very early stages of human development. However, due to practical constraints, for decades morphological examination of embryo development has been undertaken at a few isolated time points at the stages of fertilisation (Day 1), cleavage (Day 2-3) and blastocyst (Day 5-6). Rather surprisingly, the morula stage (Day 3-4) has been so far neglected, despite its involvement in crucial cellular processes and developmental decisions. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE The objective of this review is to collate novel and unsuspected insights into developmental processes occurring during formation of the morula, highlighting the key importance of this stage for a better understanding of preimplantation development and an improvement of ART. SEARCH METHODS PubMed was used to search the MEDLINE database for peer-reviewed English-language original articles and reviews concerning the morula stage in mammals. Searches were performed by adopting 'embryo', 'morula', 'compaction', 'cell fate' and 'IVF/assisted reproduction' as main terms, in association with other keywords expressing concepts relevant to the subject (e.g. cell polarity). The most relevant publications, i.e. those concerning major phenomena occurring during formation of the morula in established experimental models and the human species, were assessed and discussed critically. OUTCOMES Novel live cell imaging technologies and cell biology studies have extended our understanding of morula formation as a key stage for the development of the blastocyst and determination of the inner cell mass (ICM) and the trophectoderm (TE). Cellular processes, such as dynamic formation of filopodia and cytoskeleton-mediated zippering cell-to-cell interactions, intervene to allow cell compaction (a geometrical requisite essential for development) and formation of the blastocoel, respectively. At the same time, differential orientation of cleavage planes, cell polarity and cortical tensile forces interact and cooperate to position blastomeres either internally or externally, thereby influencing their cellular fate. Recent time lapse microscopy (TLM) observations also suggest that in the human the process of compaction may represent an important checkpoint for embryo viability, through which chromosomally abnormal blastomeres are sensed and eliminated by the embryo. WIDER IMPLICATIONS In clinical embryology, the morula stage has been always perceived as a 'black box' in the continuum of preimplantation development. This has dictated its virtual exclusion from mainstream ART procedures. Recent findings described in this review indicate that the morula, and the associated process of compaction, as a crucial stage not only for the formation of the blastocyst, but also for the health of the conceptus. This understanding may open new avenues for innovative approaches to embryo manipulation, assessment and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cristina Lagalla
- 9.Baby, Family and Fertility Center, Via Dante 15, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roger Sturmey
- Centre for Cardiovascular Metabolic Research, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, Hull, United Kingdom
| | | | - Andrea Borini
- 9.Baby, Family and Fertility Center, Via Dante 15, Bologna, Italy
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28
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CDX2 Loss With Microsatellite Stable Phenotype Predicts Poor Clinical Outcome in Stage II Colorectal Carcinoma. Am J Surg Pathol 2020; 43:1473-1482. [PMID: 31490234 DOI: 10.1097/pas.0000000000001356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Current risk factors in stage II colorectal carcinoma are insufficient to guide treatment decisions. Loss of CDX2 has been shown to associate with poor clinical outcome and predict benefit for adjuvant chemotherapy in stage II and III colorectal carcinoma. The prognostic relevance of CDX2 in stage II disease has not been sufficiently validated, especially in relation to clinical risk factors, such as microsatellite instability (MSI) status, BRAF mutation status, and tumor budding. In this study, we evaluated the protein expression of CDX2 in tumor center and front areas in a tissue microarrays material of stage II colorectal carcinoma patients (n=232). CDX2 expression showed a partial or total loss in respective areas in 8.6% and 10.9% of patient cases. Patients with loss of CDX2 had shorter disease-specific survival when scored independently either in tumor center or tumor front areas (log rank P=0.012; P=0.012). Loss of CDX2 predicted survival independently of other stage II risk factors, such as MSI status and BRAF mutation status, pT class, and tumor budding (hazard ratio=5.96, 95% confidence interval=1.55-22.95; hazard ratio=3.70, 95% confidence interval=1.30-10.56). Importantly, CDX2 loss predicted inferior survival only in patients with microsatellite stable, but not with MSI-high phenotype. Interestingly, CDX2 loss associated with low E-cadherin expression, tight junction disruption, and high expression of ezrin protein. The work demonstrates that loss of CDX2 is an independent risk factor of poor disease-specific survival in stage II colorectal carcinoma. Furthermore, the study suggests that CDX2 loss is linked with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition independently of tumor budding.
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29
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Yao C, Zhang W, Shuai L. The first cell fate decision in pre-implantation mouse embryos. CELL REGENERATION 2019; 8:51-57. [PMID: 31844518 PMCID: PMC6895705 DOI: 10.1016/j.cr.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Fertilization happens when sperm and oocytes meet, which is a complicated process involving many important types of biological activation. Beginning in the 2-cell stage, an important event referred to as zygotic genome activation (ZGA) occurs, which governs the subsequent development of the embryo. In ZGA, multiple epigenetic modifications are involved and critical for pre-implantation development. These changes occur after ZGA, resulting in blastomeres segregate into two different lineages. Some blastomeres develop into the inner cell mass (ICM), and others develop into the trophectoderm (TE), which is considered the first cell fate decision. How this process is initiated and the exact molecular mechanisms involved are fascinating questions that remain to be answered. In this review, we introduce some possible developmental models of the first cell fate decision and discuss the signalling pathways and transcriptional networks regulating this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunmeng Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China
| | - Ling Shuai
- State Key Laboratory of Medicinal Chemical Biology and College of Pharmacy, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300350, China.,State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 201203, China
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30
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Negrón-Pérez VM, Hansen PJ. Role of yes-associated protein 1, angiomotin, and mitogen-activated kinase kinase 1/2 in development of the bovine blastocyst. Biol Reprod 2019; 98:170-183. [PMID: 29228123 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The morula-stage embryo is transformed into a blastocyst composed of epiblast, hypoblast, and trophectoderm (TE) through mechanisms that, in the mouse, involve the Hippo signaling and mitogen-activated kinase (MAPK) pathways. Using the cow as an additional model, we tested the hypotheses that TE and hypoblast differentiation were regulated by the Hippo pathway regulators, yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) and angiomotin (AMOT), and MAPK kinase 1/2 (MAPK1/2). The presence of YAP1 and CDX2 in the nucleus and cytoplasm of MII oocytes and embryos was evaluated by immunofluorescence labeling. For both molecules, localization changed from cytoplasmic to nuclear as development advanced. Inhibition of YAP1 activity, either by verteporfin or a YAP1 targeting GapmeR, reduced the percent of zygotes that became blastocysts, the proportion of blastocysts that hatched and numbers of CDX2+ cells in blastocysts. Moreover, the YAP1-targeting GapmeR altered expression of 15 of 91 genes examined in the day 7.5 blastocyst. Treatment of embryos with an AMOT targeting GapmeR did not affect blastocyst development or hatching but altered expression of 16 of 91 genes examined at day 7.5 and reduced the number of CDX2+ nuclei and YAP1+ nuclei in blastocysts at day 8.5 of development. Inhibition of MAPK1/2 with PD0325901 did not affect blastocyst development but increased the number of epiblast cells. Results indicate a role for YAP1 and AMOT in function of TE in the bovine blastocyst. YAP1 can also affect function of the epiblast and hypoblast, and MAPK signaling is important for inner cell mass differentiation by reducing epiblast numbers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verónica M Negrón-Pérez
- Department of Animal Sciences, D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Peter J Hansen
- Department of Animal Sciences, D. H. Barron Reproductive and Perinatal Biology Research Program and Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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31
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Abstract
There is a critical need to identify accessible stem cells that can form spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes (CMs) and enable regeneration. Here, we establish that intravenous delivery of placental Cdx2 cells resulted in directed homing, sustained engraftment, and differentiation into CMs and vascular cells in damaged hearts, significantly improving cardiac function. This study unveils a distinctive functional significance of Cdx2 beyond its established role in embryonic patterning. Therapeutic use of Cdx2 cells may represent a vital advance, as these cells are multipotent and immunologically naive, with a unique proteome, compared with embryonic stem cells. Moreover, they exhibit the ability to selectively home to sites of injury. These characteristics pave the way for novel allogeneic stem cell therapy for cardiac disease. The extremely limited regenerative potential of adult mammalian hearts has prompted the need for novel cell-based therapies that can restore contractile function in heart disease. We have previously shown the regenerative potential of mixed fetal cells that were naturally found migrating to the injured maternal heart. Exploiting this intrinsic mechanism led to the current hypothesis that Caudal-type homeobox-2 (Cdx2) cells in placenta may represent a novel cell type for cardiac regeneration. Using a lineage-tracing strategy, we specifically labeled fetal-derived Cdx2 cells with enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP). Cdx2-eGFP cells from end-gestation placenta were assayed for cardiac differentiation in vitro and in vivo using a mouse model of myocardial infarction. We observed that these cells differentiated into spontaneously beating cardiomyocytes (CMs) and vascular cells in vitro, indicating multipotentiality. When administered via tail vein to infarcted wild-type male mice, they selectively and robustly homed to the heart and differentiated to CMs and blood vessels, resulting in significant improvement in contractility as noted by MRI. Proteomics and immune transcriptomics studies of Cdx2-eGFP cells compared with embryonic stem (ES) cells reveal that they appear to retain “stem”-related functions of ES cells but exhibit unique signatures supporting roles in homing and survival, with an ability to evade immune surveillance, which is critical for cell-based therapy. Cdx2-eGFP cells may potentially represent a therapeutic advance in allogeneic cell therapy for cardiac repair.
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32
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HosseinNia P, Hajian M, Jafarpour F, Hosseini SM, Tahmoorespur M, Nasr-Esfahani MH. Dynamics of The Expression of Pluripotency and Lineage Specific Genes in The Pre and Peri-Implantation Goat Embryo. CELL JOURNAL 2019; 21:194-203. [PMID: 30825293 PMCID: PMC6397601 DOI: 10.22074/cellj.2019.5732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Objective Two critical points of early development are the first and second lineage segregations, which are regulated by a wide spectrum of molecular and cellular factors. Gene regulatory networks, are one of the important components which handle inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) fates and the pluripotency status across different mammalian species. Considering the importance of goats in agriculture and biotechnology, this study set out to investigate the dynamics of expression of the core pluripotency markers at the mRNA and protein levels. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, the expression pattern of three pluripotency markers (Oct4, Nanog and Sox2) and the linage specific markers (Rex1, Gata4 and Cdx2) were quantitatively assessed in in vitro matured (MII) oocytes and embryos at three distinctive stages: 8-16 cell stage, day-7 (D7) blastocysts and D14 blastocysts. Moreover, expression of Nanog, Oct4, Sox2 proteins, and their localization in the goat blastocyst was observed through immunocytochemistry. Results Relative levels of mRNA transcripts for Nanog and Sox2 in D3 (8-16 cell) embryos were significantly higher than D7 blastocysts and mature oocytes, while Oct4 was only significantly higher than D7 blastocysts. However, the expression pattern of Rex1, as an epiblast linage marker, decreased from the oocyte to the D14 stage. The expression pattern of Gata4 and Cdx2, as extra embryonic linage markers, also showed a similar trend from oocyte to D3 while their expressions were up-regulated in D14 blastocysts. Conclusion Reduction in Nanog, Oct4, Sox2 mRNA transcription and a late increase in extra embryonic linage markers suggests that the developmental program of linage differentiation is retarded in goat embryos compared to previously reported data on mice and humans. This is likely related to late the implantation in goats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pouria HosseinNia
- Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran.,Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Research and Development, ROJETechnologies, Yazd, Iran
| | - Mehdi Hajian
- Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Farnoosh Jafarpour
- Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Seyed Morteza Hosseini
- Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Tahmoorespur
- Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hossein Nasr-Esfahani
- Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology, ACECR, Isfahan, Iran. electronic Address:
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33
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De Caluwé J, Tosenberger A, Gonze D, Dupont G. Signalling-modulated gene regulatory networks in early mammalian development. J Theor Biol 2019; 463:56-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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34
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Suter B. RNA localization and transport. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-GENE REGULATORY MECHANISMS 2018; 1861:938-951. [PMID: 30496039 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagrm.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2018] [Revised: 08/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RNA localization serves numerous purposes from controlling development and differentiation to supporting the physiological activities of cells and organisms. After a brief introduction into the history of the study of mRNA localization I will focus on animal systems, describing in which cellular compartments and in which cell types mRNA localization was observed and studied. In recent years numerous novel localization patterns have been described, and countless mRNAs have been documented to accumulate in specific subcellular compartments. These fascinating revelations prompted speculations about the purpose of localizing all these mRNAs. In recent years experimental evidence for an unexpected variety of different functions has started to emerge. Aside from focusing on the functional aspects, I will discuss various ways of localizing mRNAs with a focus on the mechanism of active and directed transport on cytoskeletal tracks. Structural studies combined with imaging of transport and biochemical studies have contributed to the enormous recent progress, particularly in understanding how dynein/dynactin/BicD (DDB) dependent transport on microtubules works. This transport process actively localizes diverse cargo in similar ways to the minus end of microtubules and, at least in flies, also individual mRNA molecules. A sophisticated mechanism ensures that cargo loading licenses processive transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beat Suter
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.
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35
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Mihajlović AI, Bruce AW. The first cell-fate decision of mouse preimplantation embryo development: integrating cell position and polarity. Open Biol 2018; 7:rsob.170210. [PMID: 29167310 PMCID: PMC5717349 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.170210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
During the first cell-fate decision of mouse preimplantation embryo development, a population of outer-residing polar cells is segregated from a second population of inner apolar cells to form two distinct cell lineages: the trophectoderm and the inner cell mass (ICM), respectively. Historically, two models have been proposed to explain how the initial differences between these two cell populations originate and ultimately define them as the two stated early blastocyst stage cell lineages. The 'positional' model proposes that cells acquire distinct fates based on differences in their relative position within the developing embryo, while the 'polarity' model proposes that the differences driving the lineage segregation arise as a consequence of the differential inheritance of factors, which exhibit polarized subcellular localizations, upon asymmetric cell divisions. Although these two models have traditionally been considered separately, a growing body of evidence, collected over recent years, suggests the existence of a large degree of compatibility. Accordingly, the main aim of this review is to summarize the major historical and more contemporarily identified events that define the first cell-fate decision and to place them in the context of both the originally proposed positional and polarity models, thus highlighting their functional complementarity in describing distinct aspects of the developmental programme underpinning the first cell-fate decision in mouse embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar I Mihajlović
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genetics (LDB&G), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander W Bruce
- Laboratory of Developmental Biology and Genetics (LDB&G), Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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36
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Causes and evolutionary consequences of primordial germ-cell specification mode in metazoans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 114:5784-5791. [PMID: 28584112 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1610600114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In animals, primordial germ cells (PGCs) give rise to the germ lines, the cell lineages that produce sperm and eggs. PGCs form in embryogenesis, typically by one of two modes: a likely ancestral mode wherein germ cells are induced during embryogenesis by cell-cell signaling (induction) or a derived mechanism whereby germ cells are specified by using germ plasm-that is, maternally specified germ-line determinants (inheritance). The causes of the shift to germ plasm for PGC specification in some animal clades remain largely unknown, but its repeated convergent evolution raises the question of whether it may result from or confer an innate selective advantage. It has been hypothesized that the acquisition of germ plasm confers enhanced evolvability, resulting from the release of selective constraint on somatic gene networks in embryogenesis, thus leading to acceleration of an organism's protein-sequence evolution, particularly for genes expressed at early developmental stages, and resulting in high speciation rates in germ plasm-containing lineages (denoted herein as the "PGC-specification hypothesis"). Although that hypothesis, if supported, could have major implications for animal evolution, our recent large-scale coding-sequence analyses from vertebrates and invertebrates provided important examples of genera that do not support the hypothesis of liberated constraint under germ plasm. Here, we consider reasons why germ plasm might be neither a direct target of selection nor causally linked to accelerated animal evolution. We explore alternate scenarios that could explain the repeated evolution of germ plasm and propose potential consequences of the inheritance and induction modes to animal evolutionary biology.
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37
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Wei Q, Zhong L, Zhang S, Mu H, Xiang J, Yue L, Dai Y, Han J. Bovine lineage specification revealed by single-cell gene expression analysis from zygote to blastocyst. Biol Reprod 2018; 97:5-17. [PMID: 28859285 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/iox071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Preimplantation embryos undergo zygotic genome activation and lineage specification resulting in three distinct cell types in the late blastocyst. The molecular mechanisms underlying this progress are largely unknown in bovines. Here, we sought to analyze an extensive set of regulators at the single-cell level to define the events involved in the development of the bovine blastocyst. Using a quantitative microfluidics approach in single cells, we analyzed mRNA levels of 96 genes known to function in early embryonic development and maintenance of stem cell pluripotency in parallel in 384 individual cells from bovine preimplantation embryos. The developmental transitions can be distinguished by distinctive gene expression profiles and we identified NOTCH1, expressed in early developmental stages, while T-box 3 (TBX3) and fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4), expressed in late developmental stages. Three lineages can be segregated in bovine expanded blastocysts based on the expression patterns of lineage-specific genes such as disabled homolog 2 (DAB2), caudal type homeobox 2 (CDX2), ATPase H+/K+ transporting non-gastric alpha2 subunit (ATP12A), keratin 8 (KRT8), and transcription factor AP-2 alpha (TFAP2A) for trophectoderm; GATA binding protein 6 (GATA6) and goosecoid homeobox (GSC) for primitive endoderm; and Nanog homeobox (NANOG), teratocarcinoma-derived growth factor 1 (TDGF1), and PR/SET domain 14 (PRDM14) for epiblast. Moreover, some lineage-specific genes were coexpressed in blastomeres from the morula. The commitment to trophectoderm and inner cell mass lineages in bovines occurs later than in the mouse, and KRT8 might be an earlier marker for bovine trophectoderm cells. We determined that TDGF1 and PRDM14 might play pivotal roles in the primitive endoderm and epiblast specification of bovine blastocysts. Our results shed light on early cell fate determination in bovine preimplantation embryos and offer theoretical support for deriving bovine embryonic stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingqing Wei
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhong
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shaopeng Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Haiyuan Mu
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinzhu Xiang
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Yue
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunping Dai
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyong Han
- State Key Laboratory for Agrobiotechnology, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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38
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Chen Q, Shi J, Tao Y, Zernicka-Goetz M. Tracing the origin of heterogeneity and symmetry breaking in the early mammalian embryo. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1819. [PMID: 29739935 PMCID: PMC5940674 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04155-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in developmental and stem cell biology concerns the origin and nature of signals that initiate asymmetry leading to pattern formation and self-organization. Instead of having prominent pre-patterning determinants as present in model organisms (worms, sea urchin, frog), we propose that the mammalian embryo takes advantage of more subtle cues such as compartmentalized intracellular reactions that generate micro-scale inhomogeneity, which is gradually amplified over several cellular generations to drive pattern formation while keeping developmental plasticity. It is therefore possible that by making use of compartmentalized information followed by its amplification, mammalian embryos would follow general principle of development found in other organisms in which the spatial cue is more robustly presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Chen
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Junchao Shi
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Yi Tao
- Center for Computational and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Mammalian Development and Stem Cell Group, Department of Physiology, Development & Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3EG, UK.
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39
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Liu S, Bou G, Zhao J, Guo S, Guo J, Weng X, Yin Z, Liu Z. Asynchronous CDX2 expression and polarization of porcine trophoblast cells reflects a species-specific trophoderm lineage determination progress model. Mol Reprod Dev 2018; 85:590-598. [PMID: 29719081 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Upregulation of Cdx2 expression in outer cells is a key event responsible for cell lineage segregation between the inner cell mass and the trophoderm (TE) in mouse morula-stage embryos. In TE cells, polarization can regulate Hippo and Rho-associated kinase (Rho-ROCK) signaling to induce the nuclear location of YAP, which has been demonstrated to further induce the expression of Cdx2. However, we found that CDX2 expression could not be detected in the outer cells of porcine morula-stage embryos but only in some TE cells at the early blastocyst stage. The biological significance and the regulation mechanism of this species-specific CDX2 expression pattern have still not been determined. We show here that an asynchronous CDX2 expression pattern exists in porcine TE cells during the development of the blastocyst. We demonstrate that CDX2 expression in porcine TE cells depends on the nuclear localization of YAP and polarization of the embryo through Y27632 treatment. We found that the polarization process in the morula to the late blastocyst stage porcine embryos was asynchronous, which was revealed by the apical localization of phosphorylated EZRIN staining. Artificially enhancing the number of polarized blastomeres by culturing the separated blastomeres of four-cell stage porcine embryos resulted in increased CDX2-positive cell numbers. These results indicate that the mechanism of CDX2 expression regulation is conserved, but the polarization progress is not conserved between the pig and the mouse, and results in a species-specific trophoblast determination progress model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shichao Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Gerelchimeg Bou
- Animal Science College, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jianchao Zhao
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Shimeng Guo
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Jia Guo
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaogang Weng
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhi Yin
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University of China, Harbin, China.,Key Laboratory of Animal Cellular and Genetic Engineering of Heilongjiang Province, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
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40
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Klimczewska K, Kasperczuk A, Suwińska A. The Regulative Nature of Mammalian Embryos. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 128:105-149. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2017.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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41
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Bissiere S, Gasnier M, Alvarez YD, Plachta N. Cell Fate Decisions During Preimplantation Mammalian Development. Curr Top Dev Biol 2017; 128:37-58. [PMID: 29477170 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The early mouse embryo offers a phenomenal system to dissect how changes in the mechanisms controlling cell fate are integrated with morphogenetic events at the single-cell level. New technologies based on live imaging have enabled the discovery of dynamic changes in the regulation of single genes, transcription factors, and epigenetic mechanisms directing early cell fate decision in the early embryo. Here, we review recent progress in linking molecular dynamic events occurring at the level of the single cell in vivo, to some of the key morphogenetic changes regulating early mouse development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maxime Gasnier
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yanina D Alvarez
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore; Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Conicet, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolas Plachta
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, A*STAR, Singapore, Singapore; National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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42
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Rhee C, Kim J, Tucker HO. Transcriptional Regulation of the First Cell Fate Decision. JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY & REGENERATIVE MEDICINE 2017; 1:102. [PMID: 29658952 PMCID: PMC5897107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how the first cell fate decision has chosen is a fascinating biological question that was received consider attention over the last decade. Numerous transcription factors are required, and many have been shown to have essential roles in this process. Here we reexamine the function that transcription factors play primarily in the mouse-the model system most thoroughly examined in this process. We address how the first embryonic lineage is established and maintained, with a particular emphasis on subsequent trophectoderm development and the role of the recently established Arid3a transcription factor in this process. In addition, we review relevant aspects of embryonic stem cell reprogramming into trophoblast stem cells -the equivalent of the epiblast (inner cell mass) and the establishment of induced trophoblast stem cells-the in vitro equivalent of the trophectoderm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Rhee
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA 02138, USA
| | - Jonghwan Kim
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
| | - Haley O. Tucker
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
- Institute for Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712, USA
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43
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The Role of Maternal-Effect Genes in Mammalian Development: Are Mammalian Embryos Really an Exception? Stem Cell Rev Rep 2017; 12:276-84. [PMID: 26892267 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-016-9648-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The essential contribution of multiple maternal factors to early mammalian development is rapidly altering the view that mammals have a unique pattern of development compared to other species. Currently, over 60 maternal-effect mutations have been described in mammalian systems, including critical determinants of pluripotency. This data, combined with the evidence for lineage bias and differential gene expression in early blastomeres, strongly suggests that mammalian development is to some extent mosaic from the four-cell stage onward.
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44
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Actomyosin polarisation through PLC-PKC triggers symmetry breaking of the mouse embryo. Nat Commun 2017; 8:921. [PMID: 29030553 PMCID: PMC5640629 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00977-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishment of cell polarity in the mammalian embryo is fundamental for the first cell fate decision that sets aside progenitor cells for both the new organism and the placenta. Yet the sequence of events and molecular mechanism that trigger this process remain unknown. Here, we show that de novo polarisation of the mouse embryo occurs in two distinct phases at the 8-cell stage. In the first phase, an apical actomyosin network is formed. This is a pre-requisite for the second phase, in which the Par complex localises to the apical domain, excluding actomyosin and forming a mature apical cap. Using a variety of approaches, we also show that phospholipase C-mediated PIP2 hydrolysis is necessary and sufficient to trigger the polarisation of actomyosin through the Rho-mediated recruitment of myosin II to the apical cortex. Together, these results reveal the molecular framework that triggers de novo polarisation of the mouse embryo. The molecular trigger that establishes cell polarity in the mammalian embryo is unclear. Here, the authors show that de novo polarisation of the mouse embryo at the 8-cell stage is directed by Phospholipase C and Protein kinase C and occurs in two phases: polarisation of actomyosin followed by the Par complex.
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45
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Maître JL. Mechanics of blastocyst morphogenesis. Biol Cell 2017; 109:323-338. [DOI: 10.1111/boc.201700029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 06/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Léon Maître
- Institut Curie; PSL Research University; CNRS UMR3215, INSERM U934; Paris France
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46
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Olariu V, Manesso E, Peterson C. A deterministic method for estimating free energy genetic network landscapes with applications to cell commitment and reprogramming paths. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:160765. [PMID: 28680655 PMCID: PMC5493897 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Depicting developmental processes as movements in free energy genetic landscapes is an illustrative tool. However, exploring such landscapes to obtain quantitative or even qualitative predictions is hampered by the lack of free energy functions corresponding to the biochemical Michaelis-Menten or Hill rate equations for the dynamics. Being armed with energy landscapes defined by a network and its interactions would open up the possibility of swiftly identifying cell states and computing optimal paths, including those of cell reprogramming, thereby avoiding exhaustive trial-and-error simulations with rate equations for different parameter sets. It turns out that sigmoidal rate equations do have approximate free energy associations. With this replacement of rate equations, we develop a deterministic method for estimating the free energy surfaces of systems of interacting genes at different noise levels or temperatures. Once such free energy landscape estimates have been established, we adapt a shortest path algorithm to determine optimal routes in the landscapes. We explore the method on three circuits for haematopoiesis and embryonic stem cell development for commitment and reprogramming scenarios and illustrate how the method can be used to determine sequential steps for onsets of external factors, essential for efficient reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Olariu
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
- Center for Models of Life, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Erica Manesso
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Carsten Peterson
- Computational Biology and Biological Physics, Department of Astronomy and Theoretical Physics, Lund University, Lund 22362, Sweden
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47
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Effects of MG132 on the in vitro development and epigenetic modification of Debao porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos. Theriogenology 2017; 94:48-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2016] [Revised: 12/30/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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48
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Goolam M, Zernicka-Goetz M. The chromatin modifier Satb1 regulates cell fate through Fgf signalling in the early mouse embryo. Development 2017; 144:1450-1461. [PMID: 28289135 PMCID: PMC5399666 DOI: 10.1242/dev.144139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The separation of embryonic from extra-embryonic tissues within the inner cell mass to generate the epiblast (EPI), which will form the new organism, from the primitive endoderm (PE), which will form the yolk sac, is a crucial developmental decision. Here, we identify a chromatin modifier, Satb1, with a distinct role in this decision. Satb1 is differentially expressed within 16-cell-stage embryos, with higher expression levels in the inner cell mass progenitor cells. Depleting Satb1 increases the number of EPI cells at the expense of PE. This phenotype can be rescued by simultaneous depletion of both Satb1 and Satb2, owing to their antagonistic effect on the pluripotency regulator Nanog. Consequently, increasing Satb1 expression leads to differentiation into PE and a decrease in EPI, as a result of the modulation of expression of several pluripotency- and differentiation-related genes by Satb1. Finally, we show that Satb1 is a downstream target of the Fgf signalling pathway, linking chromatin modification and Fgf signalling. Together, these results identify a role for Satb1 in the lineage choice between pluripotency and differentiation and further our understanding of early embryonic lineage segregation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mubeen Goolam
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
| | - Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EG, UK
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49
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Mouse blastomeres acquire ability to divide asymmetrically before compaction. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175032. [PMID: 28362853 PMCID: PMC5376319 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mouse preimplantation embryo generates the precursors of trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) during the 8- to 16-cell stage transition, when the apico-basal polarized blastomeres undergo divisions that give rise to cells with different fate. Asymmetric segregation of polar domain at 8–16 cell division generate two cell types, polar cells which adopt an outer position and develop in TE and apolar cells which are allocated to inner position as the precursors of ICM. It is still not know when the blastomeres of 8-cell stage start to be determined to undergo asymmetric division. Here, we analyze the frequency of symmetric and asymmetric divisions of blastomeres isolated from 8-cell stage embryo before and after compaction. Using p-Ezrin as the polarity marker we found that size of blastomeres in 2/16 pairs cannot be used as a criterion for distinguishing symmetric and asymmetric divisions. Our results showed that at early 8-cell stage, before any visible signs of cortical polarity, a subset of blastomeres had been already predestined to divide asymmetrically. We also showed that almost all of 8-cell stage blastomeres isolated from compacted embryo divide asymmetrically, whereas in intact embryos, the frequency of asymmetric divisions is significantly lower. Therefore we conclude that in intact embryo the frequency of symmetric and asymmetric division is regulated by cell-cell interactions.
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Bou G, Liu S, Sun M, Zhu J, Xue B, Guo J, Zhao Y, Qu B, Weng X, Wei Y, Lei L, Liu Z. CDX2 is essential for cell proliferation and polarity in porcine blastocysts. Development 2017; 144:1296-1306. [PMID: 28219949 DOI: 10.1242/dev.141085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The role of CDX2 in trophectoderm (TE) cells has been extensively studied, yet the results are contradictory and species specific. Here, CDX2 expression and function were explored in early porcine embryos. Notably, siRNA-mediated gene knockdown and lentivirus-mediated TE-specific gene regulation demonstrated that CDX2 is essential for the maintenance of blastocyst integrity by regulating the BMP4-mediated blastocyst niche and classic protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated TE polarity in mammalian embryos. Mechanistically, CDX2-depleted porcine embryos stalled at the blastocyst stage and exhibited apoptosis and inactive cell proliferation, possibly resulting from BMP4 downregulation. Moreover, TE cells in CDX2-depleted blastocysts displayed defective F-actin apical organization associated with downregulation of PKCα (PRKCA). Collectively, these results provide further insight into the functional diversity of CDX2 in early mammalian embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerelchimeg Bou
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.,College of Animal Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Huhhot 010018, China
| | - Shichao Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Mingju Sun
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jiang Zhu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Binghua Xue
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jia Guo
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yueming Zhao
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Bo Qu
- Life Science and Biotechnique Research Center, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Xiaogang Weng
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Yanchang Wei
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Lei Lei
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Zhonghua Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China .,Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, Education Department of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin 150030, China
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